Conventional portable antennas used with two-way portable radios have a removable antenna which can either screw into an insert-molded, machined metal nut or can attach to an electrical connector such as a coaxial connector. Occasionally this nut or connector is closed at the bottom and there is an environmental seal between the nut or connector and the surrounding housing plastic.
In cases where the nut is not closed, the antenna jacket "skirt" gets compressed axially against the top of the housing when the antenna is tightened. The electrical connector usually has an axially compressed O-ring and nut on the interior of the radio. In both cases, this component is relatively expensive because it must have a die cast or machine screw stud or electrical connector to attach to the radio, and an antenna element with an over-molded or heat-shrink jacket.
Currently, one additional antenna option is an antenna which merely utilizes a simple coax monopole antenna element without any protective cover. This element is permanently attached to the board and has no housing or covering to protect the element or user. In most applications, the element is relatively short as compared with a standard full size whip antenna of the same frequency.
Since this type of antenna has a short length, it need not be removable. Thus, any housing or covering used to protect the antenna can be a more permanent structure. One problem associated with covering this type of antenna is the manner and/or type of cover used. Accordingly, the need exists to provide an easily attachable antenna housing which can be used on a permanent basis to seal the antenna opening in the radio housing. The antenna housing should provide damage protection for the monopole antenna as well as protection to a user from coming directly into contact with radio frequency (RF) energy.